4 Essential Tips For Planning Your Remodel
- Judy Olson
- Apr 15
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 25
1. Time it right
It seems like the majority of folks I encounter who are tackling a remodel are in a hurry, need it done ASAP, and want it done on the cheap. Here’s the thing though: ASAP and budget friendly don’t go hand in hand, at least not in a way that yields nice results. What you want to do to avoid spending more than necessary is time it right. Don’t wait til the last minute.
Don’t give yourself any less than 2 months to plan, and then 2 months to get your quotes, then 4 months to remodel. Don’t allow your GC to demo until all materials are in hand, and don’t make the GC wait a million years for you to decide. Don’t wait until June to start a remodel that you need done before the holidays. Can a remodel be completed between June and November? Technically yes. But spring and summer are when contractors are starting to get really slammed. That’s why half the time they show up to look at your project, then ghost you afterwards. They don’t have the time—at least the affordable ones.
If you want to give yourself the best chance to land the best contractor for your project, time it right. Start getting quotes between October and December, when business is slower, then make your contractor selection by January. Once springtime hits, their phone starts ringing and their price starts going up. And the one guy that seems like he’s completely available and flexible on price is going to be the one that costs you your sanity.
2. Plan it right
Unless you have a plan drawn up with specifications and details, your GC is making a flimsy guess when he gives an estimate. A GC will usually estimate your project based on what is technically possible, but not realistic. That’s how they land the contract, and then they simply increase the price later via change orders as you make each selection and design adjustment. This is the chaos that scars homeowners after remodel projects. They feel taken advantage of, and in some cases that is true, but if they had started with a clearly drawn plan, each detail clearly outlined for the contractor to see, they would have been in a better position to say “No, I made myself very clear from the beginning that this is what I want.”
When you skip the planning, and go straight to contractor bids, this is what happens. Without a clearly drawn and articulated plan, getting bids is a waste of your time. You might argue, “How can I make a plan without familiarizing myself with what the project will cost?” Contractors are not there to give free consultations to people who don’t know what things cost. They are there to execute plans made by others. I often see folks who get estimates, then make all the design decisions, and are shocked when all their decisions are astronomically more expensive than they anticipated.
Solution? If you’re truly budgeted to remodel properly, you will have a budget for planning and consulting. You need to locate an experienced interior designer with remodel experience who can educate you (for a fee) on what your vision is likely to cost. The advantage to a paid consultation is that the designer will be direct with you about current realistic costs in your area. They will also educate you on which changes will have the most impact, and which investments may fall flat. I offer a few different consulting options that cater to clients in the planning phase of a remodel. See service options here.
3. Do it right
It’s sad how often I find myself wincing at someone’s “newly renovated” home and wishing they had just left it alone. Newly renovated and nicely renovated are two entirely different things apparently. It is painfully clear to me when a remodel has been done on the cheap. Why? Because…
1. The design is sloppy
2. The material selections have already gone out of style
3. There are obvious cut corners
4. The contractor has clearly recycled the same formula he and his colleagues have used on their last hundred jobs, making the results much lower in value
Of course, I am a highly critical interior designer, so I see things that others don’t, or at least can’t put their finger on. But most folks don’t want to spend tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars on something that won’t really look fantastic. In my humble opinion, if you can’t afford to do it right, don’t do it at all.
*If you can't afford to remodel the right way, just pay the premium staging fees when you go to sell. It will cost less than a cheap remodel and be more effective. If you're not sure, talk to a friend in real estate or a good designer.
So what does it cost to do it right? Remodel cost fluctuates a bit by region and even by neighborhood, but in the East Bay Area remodel costs tend to fall in these ranges in 2026:
Kitchen remodels $150k-$250k (ouch, right?)
Bath remodels $80k-$150k
Whole house remodels $500k-$2M (umm what?)
Yes, to do a remodel in the way that most people want, this is what it costs. Welcome to post pandemic remodeling in California. That is not to say that you cannot make improvements to your home that are more affordable. There IS a way usually to make calculated improvements that will have more impact on your eyes, and less on your wallet.
For those ready to invest in a remodel done right, AND for those looking for a cost-effective alternative, my Pre Reno Consultation is a fabulous and affordable way to get personalized designer guidance on exactly what it means to do your project RIGHT. Check it out on my services page, along with my other popular services.
4. Educate yourself
For those delving into planning a remodel for the first time, I recommend starting with trips to your local cabinet shop, local slab yard, flooring showroom, appliance showroom, and plumbing/lighting showrooms—in that order. If you familiarize yourself with what the actual products cost that you actually WANT, and start tallying it up, you will find out quickly that those yucky cost ranges mentioned above have some merit. Do this very early in the planning phase. Talk to the sales associates and get pricing on some of the options that are most attractive to you. Another quicker way to educate yourself is to bring in a consultant to listen to your specific project ideas in your home and get their professional opinion on:
1. Estimated cost range for your project
2. Where to start
3. Who to call
4. Which showrooms to visit for the best quality service and product
5. Personalized advice on which investments are warranted
6. A recommended layout (and reasons why)
7. Recommended materials (and reasons why)
See services options for the above.
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It may seem sales pitchy but the truth of the matter is that the reason so many are terrified of remodeling is because so many have done it WRONG in the same vain attempt to avoid "unnecessary" expenses. To read more about remodeling and investing in your home effectively, check out these helpful articles and more on my blog:
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